


Tale as Old as Time

by bavariansugarcookie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bargaining, Beauty and the Beast AU, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fae Keith (Voltron), Fae Magic, Human Shiro (Voltron), Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Shiro (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), if you were sad the beast transformed back into a human this is the fic for you, magic elements loosely inspired by the Folk of Air series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29723652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bavariansugarcookie/pseuds/bavariansugarcookie
Summary: Shiro had heard his mother’s warnings about the fae more times than he could count. Put salt in your pocket before going into the forest. Don’t follow strange voices or lights in the trees. Don’t eat any blackberries that grow in November. But years later, when he stumbles on a blackberry bush full of plump, juicy berries, he can't resist. And then one of the fae appears, demanding payment...
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

Shiro had heard his mother’s warnings more times than he could count - put salt in your pocket before going into the forest. Keep an iron horseshoe above your door. Don’t follow strange voices or lights in the trees. She spent hours hemming and patching half the village’s clothes with read thread while she told him stories - about faeries and sprites and ogres. “Don’t forget, Takashi,” she would say. “Don’t eat any blackberries that grow in November.” He would nod solemnly, plucking the blackberry she offered in her palm and running away, laughing.

Years later, Shiro didn’t worry about the fae - he didn’t venture into the woods alone and he had learned that humans could be just as cruel. He still left a bowl of milk out every night, but he half-wondered whether it was a brownie or a neighborhood cat that drank it all by morning.

But on the day our story begins, Shiro was returning from a visit to his mother’s house when he saw a bush full of blackberries. It was so late in the year it seemed impossible, but there they were - dark and plump and shiny. Shiro’s mouth watered just looking at them and his stomach rumbled encouragingly. Surely it couldn’t hurt to take just one….

Shiro plucked one berry off the branch, eyeing it carefully before popping it in his mouth. It burst on his tongue, bright and tart, but sweeter than any blackberry he’d ever tasted before. He found himself reaching for another berry, and then another, until his fingers were stained purple and his belly was full.

“Are you going to eat  _ all  _ my blackberries?” a voice growled behind him and Shiro spun around. 

In front of him -in the flesh - stood one of the fae. He had pale purple fur with darker purple stripes on each cheek. His large, fluffy ears peeked out of a mop of purple hair that was so dark it was almost black. Shiro stood at least a head taller, but his sharp claws and the glint of fangs made Shiro quite sure that he would come out the worse in a fight.

Shiro swallowed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the blackberries belonged to you,” he said. It never hurt to have manners when dealing with the fae. “I thought only the berries in the forest were forbidden to humans.”

The faery’s ears swiveled back. “Then you were mistaken,” he snarled. “And now you owe me a debt.”

Shiro blanched. Everyone knew that the fae couldn’t lie - but they would use a slip of the tongue to trick an unsuspecting human into promising their firstborn, or eternal servitude.

Shiro took a deep breath, gathering his wits about him. He reached into his bag and pulled out the loaf of bread his mother gave him. “I have bread, and jam, and maybe -”

“I don’t want your human food,” the faery said scornfully and Shiro’s heart sank down to his boots. The faery peered at the blackberry bush appraisingly. “For this theft… you will be my prisoner.”

Shiro swallowed. “Your prisoner?”

“For a year and a day,” the faery said helpfully and Shiro’s eyes narrowed.

“What are the terms of my imprisonment?”

The faery blinked at him. “Terms?”

“Yes,” Shiro said. “I assume you mean a year and a day in the human realm? Time passes so strangely in Faery I can hardly be expected to follow your time table.”

The faery paused and nodded hesitantly. “I suppose…”

Shiro felt a flood of relief rush through him, but he ignored it, determined to press his advantage. “And I’ll want a way to send a message to my mother. So she won’t worry.”

The faery nodded. “Done.”

“And - I’ll need human food,” Shiro said.

The faery raised an eyebrow. “Human food?”

“Yes,” Shiro said as imperiously as he could manage. “Nothing glamoured, or enchanted. And no faery fruit!” he added.

The faery smiled, with a flash of sharp teeth and an approving glint in his eyes. “Are those your terms?”

Shiro wracked his brain, but couldn’t think of anything else. The faery had agreed to everything, and Shiro could only thank his lucky stars that he had met a less vengeful faery than most. “Yes.”

The faery smiled, all fang. “Then I accept your terms.” He tilted his head. “What is your name?”

“Shiro,” he replied, and the faery laughed. “What’s yours?” 

The faery chuckled again. “You won’t get my real name as easily as that.” He raised an eyebrow. “Clever human, not to give me yours.” Shiro swallowed, but the faery just said “You can call me Keith,” and held out his hand.

Shiro swallowed and took his hand, shivering at the claw that traced over his skin. 

Keith led Shiro into the forest, down a path he had never seen before. They passed under a tree, so bent it curved in a huge arch over the path. Shiro found himself tripping over roots and brambles that reached out to catch his feet, and Keith paused, frowning.

"I should've thought of that," he murmured to himself, and then spat into his hand and reached for Shiro's face.

Shiro jerked away. "What are you  _ doing?" _

Keith's ears flicked back, disappearing into his hair. "Trying to give you the Sight. Spending a year in Faerie will be difficult if you can't see anything."

Shiro frowned. "I can see you."

Keith huffed out a sigh. "Well, most of the fae aren't going to drop their glamour for you."

Shiro pursed his lips and nodded, closing his eyes and trying not to think about what Keith was smearing on his eyelids. 

"Alright," Keith said softly, and Shiro blinked. He looked all around him, but nothing looked different. "What…"

"You'll see," Keith said, leading him further along the path.

As they walked, Shiro saw flashes of color out of the corner of his eye. But no matter how fast he looked, all he could see were tree branches shifting in the breeze. 

"Sprites," Keith murmured. "Nosy little things."

Shiro nodded. That at least explained the being-watched feeling.

They walked and walked and Shiro's feet were aching when Keith finally stopped in front of a copse of trees. "Welcome home," he said, and it took a moment of staring for Shiro to even see the house, hidden by brambles and vines and an oak tree growing in front of the door. 

"You live here?" Shiro asked. He didn't know what he'd been expecting - lavish halls, winding passageways, maybe some staircases that led to nowhere. Certainly not a house that looked like it'd been abandoned for thirty years. 

Keith flicked his ears at him. "You'll see." He tugged on Shiro's hand, leading him to a little door Shiro hadn't noticed, just behind the mass of brambles.

Shiro had been sure the house would be falling to pieces inside, with a leaky ceiling and moss on the floor - but when he stepped through the door, he gasped. Instead of a derelict building, there were armchairs around a roaring fire, and a wall of shelves full of books and an assortment of human things - empty jam jars, a rolling pin, an inkwell, and even a cuckoo clock. 

Shiro stared all around him, until Keith huffed at him. “Come on,” he said, leading Shiro further into the house. “I should introduce you to the others.”

The “others” turned out to be a pixie named Lance, a brownie named Pidge, and a leprechaun named Hunk. They all gathered in the kitchen, whispering and tittering to themselves. “A human?” Lance asked, climbing onto the kitchen table to peer into Shiro’s face. 

“Lance…” Keith grumbled, but Lance just stuck his tongue out at him and poked Shiro’s cheek. 

“Why’d you bring a human?” Lance asked. 

“Shut up,” Pidge said, peering at Shiro’s prosthetic through a pair of human glasses that were much too large for her. "This is Galra made!" she said, and Shiro winced. "Where'd you get it?"

"Pidge!" Keith said sharply. She scrunched up her nose at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you show Shiro to the kitchen?" Keith asked, and Hunk plucked at his elbow, leading him away while Pidge muttered under her breath. 

Hunk stoked the fire, bringing it back to life. Shiro sat on the hearth, trying to warm up. "Come on, Hunk," Pidge said in a loud stage whisper. "Since we're not supposed to talk to the human." She flounced out of the room, with Hunk on her heels. He shot Shiro an apologetic look and Shiro smiled faintly.

It was so eerily quiet that Shiro jumped when his stomach growled. He opened his bag to see what food he had with him, not feeling brave enough to try the food laid out on the table in case it was enchanted.

Shiro cut the bread, toasting it over the fire. He was reluctant to use up the jam his mother had given him so soon, but thankfully he found a hunk of honeycomb in the larder - it looked and smelled like honey, so he stole a chunk and spread it on the bread. 

He had just eaten the last bite when Keith appeared in the doorway. “I can show you to your room,” he said, and Shiro scrambled after him, surprised that he wasn’t being left to sleep on the hearth. Keith led him down a winding hall, and Shiro lost count of how many doors he passed. Finally Keith threw open a door, revealing a carved stone fireplace, with a fire roaring on the hearth and a real bed, with vines winding around the bed posts and little glowing sprites fluttering from branch to branch. 

Shiro gaped at the bed, until Keith murmured, “I’ll leave you alone for the night.”

“Oh,” Shiro said. “Thank you.”

Keith nodded, and started to leave, before he turned back. He reached into his coat and pulled out a hand mirror. “This mirror has a twin,” he said, his voice low and rough. “I’ll have Pidge take its mate to your mother, so you’ll be able to see her.” 

He handed the mirror to Shiro, who looked down into the dark glossy surface. “Thank you,” Shiro whispered. 

Keith nodded again. “Good night,” he murmured, before he swept out of the room.

Shiro sank down onto the bed, clutching the mirror to his chest, and if he shed a tear, well, no one was there to see.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro's first full day in Faerie.

The next morning, Shiro made himself some more honey toast, despite Lance’s best efforts to give him faerie fruit. “It’s delicious,” he said in a wheedling tone, taking a big bite, but Shiro just shook his head, looking at his half-eaten loaf with a sinking feeling. He would need to ask Keith for more food soon.

Just when he was about to go off in search of Keith, the faery came into the kitchen. “Shiro, there you are.” He looked down at the bread and honey on the table, and Lance holding out the faerie fruit. “Lance, Shiro eats human food.”

Lance pouted, crossing his arms and scuttling away, and Keith rolled his eyes. “So, I suppose you’ll need some more food soon,” Keith said, and then his ears perked up. “I have an idea,” he said, sweeping out of the room.

Shiro blinked, confused, but before he knew it, Keith had come running back in - holding a crossbow.

Shiro yelped, ducking behind the table. “What is  _ that _ ?”

“A crossbow,” Keith said, looking down at it proudly. “To bring you back some venison to roast.”

Shiro blinked up at him. “I don’t eat meat.”

Keith blinked at him, dismayed. “You don’t?” Shiro shook his head, and Keith's shoulders sagged. “What  _ do  _ humans eat then?”

“Rice, bread, cheese, vegetables. Sometimes fish.” Shiro said, relieved when Keith leaned the crossbow against the wall. “I can make most of it myself, but without my garden I need to get the ingredients…”

Keith brightened again. “I can send Pidge,” he said, and he called out. “Pidge!”

Pidge appeared in the kitchen, frowning grumpily. “What?”

“Have you gone to the seamstress’ house yet?” Pidge shook her head, and Shiro’s heart thudded in his chest. “Well, on your way back from her house, I’ll need you to go to the village,” Keith said. “Humans can’t live off of our food.”

Pidge huffed out a sigh. “Fine. What do you want?”

Shiro rattled off a list and Pidge wrinkled her nose. “Fine. I’ll be back,” she said.

She was just starting to turn away when Shiro said, “Oh, and I’ll need salt!”

“Salt?” Pidge yelped.

“You want to bring salt into my house?” Keith asked, outraged, and Shiro held his hands up. 

“It’s for my bread!” he said. “The bread won’t rise without it!”

“Hmph,” Keith grumbled. “How can Pidge bring it back if she can’t touch it?”

Shiro bit his lip, thinking, and then he had an idea. “Hold on!” he said, running to the front room and grabbing one of the jam jars from the bookshelf.

He trotted back into the kitchen, holding out the jar to Pidge. “Fine,” she sighed, very put upon, and disappeared. 

Shiro turned and saw Keith watching him with an unreadable look on his face. When he saw Shiro looking, he stared down at the floor. “Well, let me know if you need anything else,” he mumbled, and picked up the crossbow.

“I thought you weren’t going,” Shiro said, and Keith just looked over his shoulder, with a grin and a hint of fang.

“You might not eat meat, little human, but I do,” he said, setting off into Faerie.

Left to his own devices again, Shiro puttered around the kitchen until he noticed the fire was dying. He opened the door Keith had disappeared through, peeking out into an overgrown garden. He saw a pile of firewood and a gnarled old faerie fruit tree, branches bent under the weight of all the strange ruby red fruit.

Shiro shuddered and turned away from the tree, stepping out into the garden just in time to see a sprite zip by over his head. It disappeared into the wild rose bush that was growing over a crumbling trellis, its vines slowly tangling with the branches of an enormous blackberry bush. 

Shiro stared at the dark berries for a long moment, and then he turned back to the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets for the biggest bowl he could find. He made sure to pick every single berry on that bush, leaving a few on the trellis for the sprites.

When Pidge came home she took one look at the pile of blackberries and laughed and laughed. "You're a funny one," she said, sending her armload of human food spilling across the table. 

"How did you pay?" Shiro asked, and Pidge squinted up at him.

"Oh, just the normal way," she said, reaching into her pack and gingerly setting the jar of salt on the table, as if it might explode.

"So, leprechaun gold?" Shiro asked, and Pidge winked at him. 

"The grocer was very happy to take it," she said, and Shiro sighed. Pidge folded her arms. "Well, what was I supposed to do? I don't have human money!"

"Can't you… I don't know, charm his oven? Or his cows?" Shiro asked, trying to think of all the stories his mother had told him. 

"Fine," Pidge huffed. "He'll wake up tomorrow with a golden egg in his chicken coop." Before Shiro could ask, she rolled her eyes. "A  _ real  _ golden egg."

"Thank you!" Shiro said, and she raised an eyebrow.

"A huge waste of time," she grumbled, turning up her nose as she stalked out of the kitchen. "Keith will have something to say about you stealing his blackberries  _ again." _

Shiro swallowed, but he focused on putting away the human food (on a shelf that was too high for Lance to reach). 

He was just kneading a batch of bread dough when Keith returned,with a young buck slung over his shoulders. He froze in the doorway, staring at Shiro and the bowls full of berries.

Shiro raised his chin, and Keith grinned, sharp and almost… approving?

"You're a bold one," he said, reaching out and popping one of the dark berries into his mouth, staining his lips an even darker purple.

***

Later that day, Shiro saw a flash of sunlight in the mirror. He snatched it up, staring into it. He saw his mother's face, frowning into the glass in confusion. Shiro rushed to the window, where the afternoon light was streaming in, and her jaw dropped when his reflection shone through. 

She mouthed  _ Shiro,  _ and he nodded frantically.  _ What happened? _

He held up a blackberry in his metal fingers and she shook her head, her brow pinching with worry. 

_ I'm alright,  _ he mouthed and she bit her lip. 

He held the mirror out, showing the bread he had made, and the vegetable broth boiling in the pot. Next to the pot of blackberry jam bubbling away. 

Her lips turned up at the corners, and she shook her head at him again. He shrugged, and she laughed, and for a moment, Shiro almost forgot his predicament. Until a sprite flew in through the open window, landing on his nose and flicking his face with its wings. 

He shook his head and the sprite flew off in a huff. His mother smiled at him sadly.  _ Be careful, Takashi, _ she said, and he nodded, not sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited for what comes next!! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! <3 You can find me over on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bavariancookie) if you want to talk about Sheith!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! <3 I'm almost done with the second chapter, so hopefully that'll be posted soon! I'm really excited for this AU, it's been lots of fun!
> 
> You can find me over on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bavariancookie) if you want to talk about Sheith!


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